Dynamite Dux

n/a

Dynamite Düx

System(s): Sega System 16, Sega Master System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum

Publisher:

Sega

Activision (UK)

MCM Software (ES)

Developer:

Sega R&D 8^[1]

Whiteboard

Core Design

Genre: Action^[2]

Number of players: 1-2

Release	Date	RRP	Code
JP	1988-12^[3]	¥?	?

UK	1989	£19.9919.99^[4]
UK	1989	£24.9924.99^[4]
ES (Cassette)	19xx
ES (Disk)	19xx
UK (Cassette)	1989	£9.999.99^[4]
UK (Disk)	1989	£14.9914.99^[4]
ES (Cassette)	19xx
UK (Cassette)	1989	£9.999.99^[4]
UK (Disk)	1989	£14.9914.99^[4]
ES (Cassette)	19xx
UK (Cassette)	1989	£9.999.99^[4]
EU	1990-01^[5]		7029
FR	1990	329F329^[8]	7029
PT	19xx
UK	1990-02^[6]	£24.9524.95^[5]^[7]	7029
AU	19xx	$69.9569.95^[9]
MX	19xx
BR	19xx

For the unreleased Mega Drive version, see Dynamite Dux (Mega Drive).

Dynamite Düx (ダイナマイトダックス) is a video game developed by Sega's AM2 division for their Sega System 16 arcade platform. It follows two anthropomorphic blue and red ducks named "Bin" and "Pin" respectively as they attempt to rescue a girl called Lucy from the clutches of the evil Sorcerer Achacha.

Gameplay

Dynamite Dux is a beat 'em up game, though rather than relying purely on one-on-one combat the ducks can equip themselves with a variety of weapons, from water pistols to bazookas. The game is also populated with a variety of odd looking enemies and bosses. Colonel Sanders, for instance, can be seen at the very beginning of the first level.

Stages

	Stage 1: Down Town

	Stage 2: Japan

	Stage 3: Jungle

	Stage 4: Chicago

	Stage 5: Texas

	Final Stage: Achacha

History

Legacy

Dynamite Dux was ported to Sega's Master System in 1989 for European and Brazilian markets. This version removes Pin entirely, claiming Bin (renamed "Mickael Bin") was the boyfriend of Lucy, transformed into a duck (rather than in other versions, where Bin and Pin are Lucy's pets). The Master System version also lacks two player co-operative support and omits stage 3 (Jungle) due to cartridge size limitations.

A Mega Drive version was planned^[10] for December 1990^[11], but cancelled for unknown reasons.

Activision, under license from Sega, brought versions of the game to several home computer platforms in Europe, including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

Bean the Dynamite, a character from AM2's later Arcade title Sonic the Fighters is based off Bin and Pin. He also appeared in the Sega Saturn title Fighters Megamix, and there is an unlockable Bin costume for him in that game.

A North American Master System release was planned and advertised^[12], but did not materialise.

Versions

None of the 8-bit (including the Sega Master System) versions include the bonus rounds from the arcade.

With the exception of the Commodore 64 version which supports mapping this feature to a second joystick, jumping in all home computer versions requires the use of the keyboard's space bar, as the standard joystick layout for computers at the time was only to include one button.

An issue possibly affecting multiple versions of the game (but only definitely confirmed for the Amstrad CPC) is that should the player take damage while holding a water pistol (for the fire boss), there is a chance that the pistol will be knocked off screen, making the fight unbeatable.

Amstrad CPC version

The Amstrad CPC port lacks any in-game music and runs in a much smaller window than its siblings. While it retains the forks in the road, the user always has a choice of taking the upper or lower paths - neither are blocked off at any point, as is the case in the arcade original.

Amiga and Atari ST versions

The Amiga and Atari ST versions are the only ports of Dynamite Dux to support co-operative play. Both were created simultaneously by Core Design, and save for differences in audio, are nearly identical.

These versions of Dynamite Dux are infamous for hidden nudity. One such example is if the player types "NUDE" during the bonus stages, the dancing rabbits will reveal their breasts.

More controversial is a hidden introduction sequence, in which a naked Lucy is carried off to a brothel. While reported by numerous magazines at the time, none sought to check their facts, as the code provided does not work. This "dirty" cheat soon became an urban legend, until several decades later when hacking revealed the hidden intro.

In order to activate dirty mode, the disk images need to be opened with a hex editor, replacing a string of five dots (.....) with "DIRTY". Sega were never made aware of this Easter egg, and it is not known if publishers Activision had any more knowledge than the end user.

Commodore 64 version

On the C64, Dynamite Dux has some unexplained music issues, in which some audio channels can't be heard during normal play.

ZX Spectrum version

The Spectrum port also lacks music, and the gameplay (minus the HUD) is presented entirely in two colours.

Production credits

System 16 version

Main Program: bin_chan_san
Assistant Programmer: duke
Ranking Program: oka_chan "punk boy"
Character Design: kiyo_chan
Back_Ground Design: "fixed_time_man"
Sound Design: hiro
Game Check: Ji_san "senior citizen"
"Achacha's Model": match
Special Thanks: sada "monster of marsh"

Source:

In-game credits ^[13]

Producer: Yu Suzuki

Source:

List of Yu Suzuki works ^[14]

The game also contains high scores that reference the developers.

Satoshi Mifune (BIN)
Tomoharu Kimura (KIM)
Kiyo (KEY)
"fixed_time_man" (OHT) [NOTE: The background art "fixed_time_man" features the name Ohtska or Ohtsuka]
Keiji Okayasu (OKA)
Ji_san (JII)
Hiroshi Miyauchi (HIR)
Hiroshi Hamagaki (SAD)
Gudon (GUD)
TAK

Magazine articles

Main article: Dynamite Dux/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

System 16 JP flyer

Home computers IT print advert

ES advert (1990)

Master System print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #100: "March 1990" (1990-02-16)

Master System print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #101: "April 1990" (1990-03-16)
also published in:

ACE (UK) #32: "May 1990" (1990-04-xx)^[15]

Home computers print advert in Commodore User (UK) #72: "September 1989" (1989-08-xx)
also published in:

Commodore User (UK) #73: "October 1989" (1989-09-26)^[16]
Computer & Video Games (UK) #95: "October 1989" (1989-09-16)^[17]

Home computers print advert in Power Play (DE) #1989-11: "11/89" (1989-10-09)

Artwork

Master System cover

Physical scans

System 16 version

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

Sinclair User (UK)

90

^[18]

	90
Based on 1 review

Dynamite Dux

System 16, JP

Instuction card(s)

Master System version

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

Complete Guide to Consoles (UK)

79

^[19]

The Complete Guide to Sega (UK)

PAL

79

^[20]

Console XS (UK)

PAL

86

^[21]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

90

^[22]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

33

^[23]

The Games Machine (UK)

85

^[24]

Joystick (FR)

85

^[25]

Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)

80

^[26]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

79

^[27]

Megazone (AU)

PAL

70

^[9]

Player One (FR)

70

^[8]

Power Play (DE)

73

^[28]

S: The Sega Magazine (UK)

64

^[29]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

50

^[30]

Sega Pro (UK)

86

^[31]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

58

^[32]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

86

^[33]

	74
Based on 17 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Master System, EU
Cover

Master System, EU (Sega®)
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, PT
Cover

Master System, AU
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart

Master System, MX
Cover
Cart Manual

Amiga version

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

ACE (UK)

84

^[4]

Amiga Computing (UK)

71

^[34]

Amiga Format (UK)

64

^[35]

Amiga User International (UK)

50

^[36]

Commodore User (UK)

71

^[37]

The Games Machine (UK)

83

^[38]

Games Preview (DK)

73

^[39]

New Computer Express (UK)

100

^[40]

The One (UK)

65

^[41]

Zero (UK)

72

^[42]

Zzap!64 (UK)

65

^[43]

	73
Based on 11 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Amiga, UK
Cover